THE Wessex Area point to point season gets under way on Sunday with a number of local trainers set to send out horses.

Laura and James Young have had a busy summer installing an indoor school, horse walker and all-weather gallops at their Broomfield stable in the Quantocks. Laura has a ten-strong team of horses.

Jeremy and Camilla Scott have seven point-to-points at their stables on the edge of Wimbleball Lake, near Dulverton.

Polly Curling has two point-to-pointers at her Treborough stables, near Minehead, and has retained triple 2003 winner Hylters Chance.

David Pipe has about 25 horses at his Nicholashayne stables near Wellington.

Celestial Gold, Legatus and Henrietta are campaigning under Rules for David's father Martin this season.

But David has retained 2003 winners Kingsbridge, Family Business, Phoenix Phlyer, Burley Don Carlos and Oneminuteofive.

Lord Atterbury will also be in action and this relentless galloper will be leading a leading candidate for the Cheltenham Foxhunters in March.

Newcomers to the yard include Polar Champ, Ballysicyos from the Martin Pipe yard, and I am Said I, winner of one of his two Irish point-to-points last season.

The debut of Brian Kilpatrick's home-bred five-year-old Heliotrope, full sister to Henrietta and half-sister to Horus, will be keenly awaited.

Ashley Farrant will ride the majority of the horses, while Ollie Jackson will again be the stable's lady jockey and Tim Eades will be in action in Novice Riders races.

Charlotte Stucley will partner Burley Don Carlos and her own Phoenix Phlyer.

The Wessex Area gets unde way with the Army meeting at Larkhill on Sunday, with the first local event being West Somerset Foxhounds and Minehead Harriers' meeting at Holnicote, near Minehead, on Saturday, February 21.